1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer, a control method for the printer, and a data storage medium storing a computer-executable program implementing the steps of the control method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for an acoustic (aural) display of error states occurring in the printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printers for printing text and images on paper or other printing medium according to control commands, print data from a host device are well known and widely used. The host device in such systems often sends data (control commands and print data) to the printer from some remote location by way of a communications link.
Furthermore, when an error, such as the paper running out, occurs during printer operation, the printer typically stops printing, and notifies the user that an error has occurred by means of an optical (visual) display. The type of error may be reported by lighting or flashing an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) on a display or operating panel of the printer.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (kokai) 63-242676, for example, teaches a printer that can report a variety of errors visually using a single indicator lamp by selecting the flashing cycle of the indicator lamp according to the type of error. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (kokai) 63-242676 also discloses reporting various errors acoustically by varying the sound pattern of a buzzer used in place of indicator lamp.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (kokai) 7-156461 discloses a printer shared by multiple host devices and capable of issuing sound to notify print start, print end and alarms. The sound differs depending on which of the host devices instructed the print job involved.
Another printer using visual error reports is known (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (kokai) 2-301818) that assigns priorities to possible errors and, when plural errors occur simultaneously, reports the error with the highest priority. As the reported error is resolved, that one with the next highest priority is reported, if any, and so forth.
A problem common to conventional printers that notify the user of errors by optical means is that users may not notice a visual error report, be it because the user is working at a location separated from the printer or the printer is installed at a place, such as under a desk, on top of a shelf etc., where it is difficult for the user to see the operating panel on which errors are displayed. Furthermore, it is difficult to identify the type of error using only flashing LEDs.
On the other hand, if a conventional printer that uses a buzzer to report errors acoustically is used in a place with loud noise or a high ambient sound level, it can be difficult to hear the buzzer and recognize the error report. If multiple printers that report errors acoustically are used in proximity to each other, it can be difficult to determine which printer is reporting the error.
Furthermore, printers that are used at cash registers or other POS (Point-Of-Sale) terminal are typically housed inside the register or POS terminal, and some such printers are designed to sound a buzzer in response to command sent from the host. However, when an error occurs the printer cannot sound the buzzer in response to command because command processing is interrupted.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problem of the prior art, and to provide a printer capable of reporting an error status to a user by means of sound, to provide a method of controlling such printer, and to provide a data storage medium storing a computer-readable program embodying this control method.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer adapted to be connected to a host device and to operate according to data received from the host device. The invention is characterized by a printing unit; an audio device for producing sound; a detector for detecting whether the printer is in an error state; a memory unit for storing a setting indicative of whether the printer error state is to be reported by means of sound in response to a predetermined first command from the host device; and a controller for driving the audio device to emit sound when the detector detects the particular error state and the memory unit stores a setting declaring audible error state reporting. As a result, this printer can audibly report printer error states to a user.
Furthermore, the memory unit preferably stores sound type information corresponding to a particular error state type in response to the first command, and the controller drives the audio device in accordance with the sound type information stored in the memory unit corresponding to the error state detected by the detector. It is therefore possible for the user to determine the type of error state that has occurred, or more specifically can determine from the emitted sound what type of error state has occurred.
Yet further preferably, the memory unit stores a sound emission count for sound corresponding to a particular error state type in response to the first command, and the controller drives the audio device in accordance with the sound emission count stored in the memory unit with correlation to the error state detected by the detector. It is therefore possible to automatically stop the sound whereby an error state is reported.
Yet further preferably, the memory unit stores a sound emission time for sound corresponding to a particular error state type in response to the first command, and the controller drives the audio device in accordance with the sound emission time stored in the memory unit with correlation to the error state detected by the detector. It is therefore possible to automatically stop the sound whereby an error state is reported.
Yet further preferably, the memory unit stores a priority level for reporting a particular error state type in response to the first command, and the controller, when a plurality of error states is detected by the detector, reports the error state with the highest priority level in accordance with the priority level information stored in the memory unit. It is therefore possible in this case to report error states of the highest priority first when plural errors occur at the same time.
Yet further preferably, the memory unit stores a sound volume for sound corresponding to a particular error state type in response to the first command, and the controller drives the audio device in accordance with the sound volume stored in the memory unit with correlation to the error state detected by the detector. It is therefore possible to automatically stop the sound whereby an error state is reported.
Yet further preferably, the controller drives the audio device in response to a predetermined second command received from the host device. If this command is sent following print data, the end of printing can be announced.
Yet further preferably, the controller stops driving the audio device in response to a predetermined third command received from the host device. It is thus possible to stop an audible report as desired by sending an appropriate command from the host device. It is also possible to reliably ensure that the user notices the error state.
Yet further preferably, the memory unit comprises a nonvolatile memory.
The invention can also be expressed as a control method for a printer. The effects and benefits achieved by this control method are the same as those of the printer described above.
Furthermore, a printer in accordance with the present invention preferably includes a program-controlled microprocessor for controlling the printer. In such case, the method according to the invention can be achieved by running a corresponding program carried on a data storage medium, such as a compact disc, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, a digital video disk, magnetic tape, or semiconductor memory. The program can be distributed, sold separate from the printer of the present invention, and can be updated from a host device independently.
Other objects and attainments together with a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.